One of the many hot topics going on in the world is medical marijuana and if laws should be passed in more states legalizing it. In Georgia, we are days away from passing the bill to become legal, but it still faces many hurdles. Some people hear marijuana then they start thinking about the stuff they sell in the street, but they’re quite different. Families have traveled from Georgia to Colorado to get access to medical marijuana.
What Is Medical Marijuana?
Medical marijuana is any part of the marijuana plant that you use to treat health problems. People use it to get relief from their symptoms, not to try to get high.Most marijuana that’s sold legally as medicine has the same ingredients as the kind that people use for pleasure. Marijuana plants have hundreds of chemicals, known as cannabinoids. The two main ones are THC and CBD. THC gives some of the pleasurable effects that pot smokers are looking for, but it also has some effects that may treat medical problems. Some research suggests that CBD may be helpful for some health issues, but it doesn’t cause you to get high.
People who smoke marijuana begins to feel its effects almost immediately, while those who eat it may not feel it for up to an hour. When you smoke pot, THC goes from your lungs into the bloodstream and causes your brain cells to release the chemical dopamine, leaving you feeling high. Experts know less about how CBD works. They think it may work sometimes with THC, and often on its own, to have an effect of the brain. Medical marijuana may help ease pain, nausea, and loss of appetite in people who have cancer and HIV. There’s not a lot of research in these areas yet, though. Some research suggests medical marijuana may cut down seizures in people with epilepsy. Some studies show it also may ease multiple sclerosis symptoms like muscle stiffness and spasms, pain, and frequent urination. Medical marijuana can change your mood, making you feel happy, relaxed, sleepy, or anxious. It can also disrupt your short-term memory and decision-making ability. These side effects can last 1 to three hours. Large doses of medical marijuana can make some people have hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia. Research suggests that smoking marijuana can make breathing problems, like bronchitis, worse. Regular smokers of medical marijuana may get respiratory problems, such as a daily cough and a higher risk of lung infections. Studies also link routine use to mental illness, depression, anxiety, less motivation, and suicidal thoughts among young people. Marijuana use during pregnancy can raise the risk of health problems in babies. Marijuana use can result in addiction.
So what are your thoughts on medical marijuana? Are you for your state passing the bill on it? Let me know how you feel about it in the comment section below.
